John 15:18

Jesus wanted to prepare His disciples for the opposition that they would face after His departure. To do this He announced first that they would encounter opposition from the world (cf. 1 John 3:13). Here the world (Gr. kosmos) refers to the mass of unbelievers. The conditional sentence in the Greek text assumes the reality of what Jesus stated for the argument’s sake. The world would hate them. A person cannot be an intimate friend of Jesus (i.e., an abiding believer) without drawing hatred from His enemies.

The world hates Jesus because He testified that its deeds are evil (John 7:7). His abiding disciples draw hatred from the world because they associate with Him and His teachings and because they seek to advance His mission. Remembering the world’s hatred for the Master makes bearing that hatred easier for His disciple.